Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-06-08
OrR SEAL. FISHERIES
PREACHING TO 5000. 100000.
The Man Who KeepsJ. Gould Reminded of
tho Punishment That awaits Him.

The Man Who Keeps j. Gould Reminded of
tho Punishment That awaits Him.
New York Letter to the Pi.ts5urg Dispatch.
a great deal is written about the
preachers OF the metropolis, and particu-
larly about those VINO, like Talmage, keep
their names constantly before the public
by means Ct books, lectures and pub
lished sermons. But there are some very
noteworthy clergymen, who draw enOr-
nous audiences and possess great
ability, who rarely are heard of in print,
although known up and down the city.
Unquestlonably the Rev JOnn K. Paxton
stands az the head of the ministry in New
York. Even DR.. John Hall aud DR.. Nor
gan Dix do not equal Paxton in elO-
quenCe, originality aud remarkable indie
pendence of thought.
To begin with, P4xton's congregation
contains more wealth at the present time
than any other church in the United
States. The mere fact that within q ra-
dius OF half dozen pewS on the middle
aisle sit Jay Gould, Russell Sage, Henry
h. Bishop and Henry NJ. FiESler is Of it.
self sufficient TO prove the assertion.
This is only representative Of the wealth
that has siJtings and listens every Sab
bath to the common sense discourses of
the brilliant young preacher.
Flagler is one of the chief directors of
the Standard Oil Company. He sits
pretty well up the aisle, while back By the
door, in fact within one pew of the door
mOdestly sits 5. C.. I. Todd, the resident
attorney OF the Standard ard q lawyer
VINO is said to know more about corpora
tlon practice than any mGu in the Nation.
could mention a score or more of very
rich men il the church, embracing mer-
chants, lawyers, brokers and the like,
but it will suffice to remark that the az
gregate wealth of the congregation is over
5000, 000,0U0.
While mIlliOnaires and aristCcratic So
CIety people sit down stairs, the CALLER
les are crowded morning and evening
with hundreds of young men who are
simply bound up in Paxton.
DR.. PaXton's church is known IS the
West Presbyterian, and is situated on
West Forty second street, about midway
between Fifth and Sixth avenues. 1t is i
very handsome structure, particularly in
the Interior. The galleries are novel in
their construction, having been altered
about eighteen months ago. Instead of
being arranged in Dews, there are boxes
all around the three sides. The boxes
are rented as they are in theaters, so that
a large family can have an entire box. A
good many young men rent g single seat
| in one of the compartments. The boxes
are very comfortable, containing easy
chairs, book racks, and are IsvishIy and
richly upholstered. The boxes rise in
I Fiprs pOa a 0J-a rh.a RI offord
q good view Of the house.
The church was always large and
prosperous one, but when the venerable
pastor and hymnist, Rev. DR.. Thomas S.
Hastings, resigned and the eloquent Pax
ton was called, the church increased in
size, afiluence and influence until its con-
tributions and congregations are enor
nous. Less than year ago Dr.. Paxton,
at the close of mis- sermon, without giving
any previous notice, asked for money for
the building Of new chapel among the
poorer classes over on Tenth avenue and
SiXty-hfth street. The baskets were
passed and S2l, 900 was raised in few
moments. This is q sample of the char
ity of the church and the influence
wrought by an appeal by the pastor. The
church will seat over 1900, but there is
SOdIOClJ CUuIdJ IudG LuCIC dLc uOG &UUU
people present at the services. Chairs
are placed in front of the pulpit, camp
chairs are distributed in the galleries, and
yet people stand in the aisIes and by the
doors, and ladies sit on the pulpit steps.
1t might be well to mention how the
millionaires, and especially Jay Gould,
came TO become members of the church.
1t is Paxton's magnetism and his practi-
cal, everyday common sense that drew
them. Gould never went To church be-
fore. He had pew for his family in
prominent Episcopal church, but rarely
attended himself. His youngest daugh-
ter, Helen Gould, first came to Paxton's
church. She went with friend and ad-
mired the preacher very much. Finally
she became a frequent attendant and
then Joined the church one Sabbath
morning, receiving a very happy tribute
from Paxton as to her Christian virtues
and sweet life. Since then, although
very young, she has been appointed su-
perintendent of one of the large missions
connected with the church, and is said to
spent 8 great deal of time and money
among the poor. She promises to be-
come one of the great women benefac-
tors of the metropolis before many years
elapse. Helen's enthusiasm over
Paxton induced her father to go aud
hear him. Paxton never spares the
millionaire and the great corporation,
and, oddly enough, all the millionaires
and corporation managers in his congre-
CATION like his criticisms. Russell Sage
is reputed to have said that he got more
good points from Paxton as to the way in
which railroads should be decently and
honoTably conducted than he ever got
from meetings of directors. At any rate,
Gould was delighted. He had his son,
George, go with him one evening, and
George was also charmed.
DR.. Paxton's salary is 1000 year,
the largest received Dy any metropolitan
nastor Dr.. John Hall of the Fifth AV-